BEIJING, CHINA—Samples of DNA obtained from the bones of five horses discovered in a 2,000-year-old tomb in northwestern China have been analyzed by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Social Science. The tomb, which had been excavated by a team made up of archaeologists from the Xinjiang Cultural Relics Department and Northwestern University, contained the remains of three nomads, and the horses are thought to have been buried with them as sacrifices. Two of the horses were chestnut colored and had been buried with a camel in an animal vault. But one of the horses had been buried in the same vault as its supposed owner. “The color of the horse’s body was golden, or palomino, while its mane and tail were nearly white,” lead researcher Zhao Xin told Xinhua. “Obviously, its conspicuous and unique appearance made it precious,” she said. To read more about ancient horses, go to "The Story of the Horse."
